Uni takes crown from CdM

High School Swimming

Sea Kings see league title streak end, but boys and girls ready for fast swims next week at CIF.

May 04, 2012|By Matt Szabo

He finished second in the 100 fly to Michael Chang of Northwood, but Namba also lowered his own school-record time to 49.68. He also swam leadoff on the 200 medley relay, also featuring Tyler Lin, Christian Garkani and Blake Motal. The quartet won the race, touching in a meet-record 1:34.17. Then, in the meet's final race, Ari Marks, Reid Chase, Liam Karas and Namba won the 400 free relay in 3:09.63. Namba swam the anchor in a sizzling 45.65 seconds, which is his fastest ever.

"The guys at the end of the lane got me all pumped up and made me go faster," said Marks, a senior who ended with a win in his last-ever race in his home pool. "I just wanted to beat Uni and everyone else too, just send a message right at the end. I guess that was a good way to end it."

Garkani captured the 200 free in 1:42.06 for CdM, and he was second in the 100 free (46.58). The other event win for the Sea Kings came in the 200 free relay, where Marks, Karas, Garkani and Motal touched in 1:28.84.

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Along with the CIF automatic times, O'Dea said more of his boys achieved consideration times. And he also got standout swims from junior Richard Barden, who always seems to taper well. Barden dropped six seconds to win the 200 free consolation heat, and he swam a quick 47-second split to help the CdM "B" 400 free relay team win its heat.

"I am so stoked with how well we swam today," said O'Dea, whose team will now prepare for the CIF Southern Section Division 1 preliminaries and finals next week at Riverside City College.

Added Namba: "We turned on a switch today. I'm glad it turned on [today], rather than never. I think the relays showed what we can do when that switch is on."

CdM girls' Coach Doug Volding couldn't be disappointed either. Brynne Wong lowered both of her individual school records, swimming a lifetime-best 55.20 to win the 100 butterfly. She edged her good friend, Irvine sophomore Emily Jiang (55.81), to win the race. Jiang won the event at CIF last year, while Wong finished second.

Wong's time also was a meet record, bettering the 55.53 by Tara Thomas of Beckman from 2006.

"I'm really excited," Wong said. "I remember when I was a freshman, I saw that record and I was like, 'I'm going to get that.' That was actually my best time ever, a 0.4 [second] drop."

Wong also finished second in the 50 free to University's Maggie Hofstadter, but her time of 23.98 seconds also lowered her school record mark.

The CdM girls also broke school records in both freestyle relays. Ally McCormick, Pippa Saunders, Hollace Barden and Wong finished second in the 200 free relay in a school-record 1:37.73. The previous record was 1:38.98, set last year by Wong, McCormick, Barden and Tori Gabert.

Volding liked the result so much that he kept the order the same for the 400 free relay. McCormick, Saunders, Barden and Wong responded with the second school record, 3:31.42. The former school record was held by Jordan Anae, Danielle Lavery, Lexie Shue and current CdM assistant coach Stephanie Gabert, who swam a 3:32.91 in 2005.

Cheyenne Low of University (girls) and Fletcher Norseen of Irvine (boys) were voted swimmers of the meet.